Friday, March 1, 2013

Pillowcases

I stole this!  It came from the All People Quilt website.  I was handed a magazine at stitch and chat one day and I read this article. 
To quote:

This pillowcase is empty 
But I’m colorful and bright
Just put a pillow in me
And watch me come to life. 
I am here to lay your head on 
To look at, cuddle and hold 
And take me along with you, 
Wherever you may go.
There is more behind this pillowcase 
It came from donations filled with love 
And wishing you well and happiness 
But never once think “I Give Up.” 


Judy Bleiler includes this poem with each pillowcase she donates to local hospitals. The poem was inspired by Kaeli Brandt, a 9-year-old child who died of a rare brain cancer.

Judy learned about Kaeli’s condition through her Pennsylvania church and knew she wanted to help. While working on a gift for her grandson, she decided to also make a birthday quilt for Kaeli’s hospital bed out of Tinkerbell fabric–Kaeli’s favorite character.

The quilt was a hit with Kaeli and the rest of the hospital. Judy wondered how she could use her talents to put more smiles on children’s faces. She began asking local churches for donations, collecting $450 to make pillowcases for other children with cancer.

Sadly, the pillowcases, which included the Tinkerbell one to match Kaeli’s quilt, arrived at the hospital a few days after Kaeli’s death. The quilt meant so much to Kaeli that her family buried the young girl with it.

In memory of Kaeli and two other young girls battling cancer, Judy started Olivia and Alayna’s Pillowcase Project in 2010. She quickly gathered $2,000 in donations, but knew she needed more to help all the kids in need.

She applied for the Pepsi grant in June and a week later received news that one of the $10,000 grant was hers. The Pepsi Refresh Grant is based on online voting from the public, and Judy’s project came in 6th out of 140 applicants. Judy has made more than 2,500 pillowcases with the material purchased through the Pepsi grant and hopes to double that number with the money.

Judy estimates that each pillowcase costs about $7 to make, between the material and packaging costs. She gets help assembling the pillowcases from others in the community.

My pillowcases are all done for Ronald McDonald house.  Margery has finished all of her cases too.  We are going over on March 8th to deliver them. 

I have no idea how much each pillowcase costs to make.  It takes one metre of fabric to make one.  I'm doing these in memory of my Dad.  He could never figure out why children had to suffer.  Suffer from disease, from lack of food, from abuse.  I can't either.  God Bless all the little ones.
Dedicated to those that lost loved ones in Newtown Connecticut.
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Well, March came in like a lamb in southern Ontario.  I wonder if that really means she is going out like a lion.  Lordy, I hope not!  Winter is nearly over in my part of the world.  I found this on the net while searching something else..............you know how one thing leads to another............
beach sand painting.......done with a rake......want to see more? 
http://www.boredpanda.com/beach-sand-drawings-andres-amador/

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